ML22102A000
| ML22102A000 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/05/2022 |
| From: | Carlson J, Raj Iyengar, Wendy Reed Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research |
| To: | |
| W. Reed | |
| References | |
| Download: ML22102A000 (12) | |
Text
1 Technical Considerations for the Molten Salt Reactor Fuel Cycle W. REED, J. CARLSON, R. IYENGAR REACTOR ENGINEERING BRANCH DIVISION OF ENGINEERING OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH
NRCs Advanced Reactor Program 2 https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced.html
Reactor Engineering Branch 3 Advanced Reactor Technical Support Molten Salt Chemistry Material Compatibility; Fuel Cycle Codes and Standards MSTDB
Completed 4 Activities - MSR Technical Gap Assessment for Materials and Component Integrity Issues for Molten Salt Reactors (ADAMS ML19077A137)
Technical Assessment of Materials Compatibility in Molten Salt Reactors (ADAMS ML21084A039)
RIC 2022 Technical Session: :
Molten Salt Reactors: Rethinking the Fuel Cycle https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/conference-symposia/ric/index.html
5 Current MSR Research
- Technical Assistance Pertaining to Advanced Reactors in the Areas of Corrosion Experiment Methodology and Evaluation
- Performing comparative evaluation of three most corrosion experiment methodologies and capsule materials.
Molten Salt Reactors - Prior Operating 6 Experience
- Prior front-end activities performed at Y-12 National Security Complex
- Lessons-learned from MSRE decommission
- No NRC regulatory precedent for front/back-end activities for MSRs Aircraft Reactor Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (ARE) Experiment (MSRE)
(1954) (1965-1969)
7 Front-End Considerations o Fuel salt enrichment, production, blending Chemical reactivity hazards of halide salts Production of uranium and thorium fuel salts from source material o Transportation packages designs to support off-site operations Moderator inclusion / Criticality Containment performance
Back-End Considerations 8 Confinement materials compatibility/performance Dose management Fluorine gas generation:
Radiolysis from beta/gamma radiation Graphite waste management Dry Spent Fuel Casks on Concrete Pad at Nuclear Power Plant Site Fuel Drain Tanks/Fuel Flush Tank in MSRE Drain Tank Cell
9 MSR Waste Streams (Riley et al., 2018)
Planned MSR Work 10
- Holistic look at the MSR Fuel Cycle
- Front-end of ANLWRs, including HALEU fuel transport and molten salt reactor fuel types
- Back-end of molten salt fuel cycle, including novel waste types, and graphite waste
- Reactor Specific Topics
- Salt Properties and Performance
- Chloride Salts
- Electrochemical Monitoring and Advanced Sensors
- Graphite Performance
11 Summary Molten salt reactors pose unique challenges for front-end and back-end operations RES collaborating with program offices on establishing future activities to ensure readiness for licensing and certification reviews Continued / expanded engagement with DOE and industry will support mutual understanding of technical and regulatory information needs
12 References Rosenthal, M.W. An Account of Oak Ridge National Laboratorys Thirteen Nuclear Reactors, Report No. ORNL/TM-2009/181. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 2010.
Fredrickson, G., G. Cao, R, Gakhar, and T. Yoo. Molten Salt Reactor Salt Processing - Technology Status, Report No. INL/EXT-18-51033.
Idaho Falls, ID: Idaho National Laboratory. 2018.
Riley, B.J. et al., Identification of Potential Waste Processing and Waste Form Options for Molten Salt Reactors. Report No. PNNL-27723. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 2018.